The invention relates to a rotor for a reluctance machine comprising a cylindrical soft-magnetic element, wherein the soft-magnetic element has cutouts for forming flux barriers. The invention further relates to a reluctance machine having a corresponding rotor and also to a method for manufacturing a rotor of this kind.
Rotors for synchronous reluctance machines are usually equipped with a cylindrical soft-magnetic element which is arranged coaxially on the rotor axis. In order to form at least one pole pair or gap pair, the soft-magnetic element comprises flux-conducting and flux-blocking portions, which differ from one another by a magnetic permeability of differing degrees. The portion with high magnetic conductivity is identified, as is known, as the d-axis of the rotor, and the portion with comparatively lower conductivity is identified as the q-axis of the rotor. An optimal degree of efficacy of the reluctance motor and therefore an optimal torque yield is provided when the d-axis has the greatest possible magnetic conductivity and the q-axis has the lowest possible magnetic conductivity.
This precondition is often satisfied by the formation of a plurality of cutouts, which are filled with air, in the soft-magnetic element along the q-axis, as a result of which the magnetic flux in the direction of the q-axis is inhibited and consequently the permeability decreases. The soft-magnetic element constructed in this way is then mounted on a rotor shaft and fixed axially and also tangentially.
For stability reasons, one or more flux barriers is/are divided into two by radially oriented inner webs. The web arrangement increases the strength of the laminated core, which in particular optimizes the rotor stability during operation. The width of the webs is low in order to keep the influence on the permeability as low as possible. Webs, which delimit the flux barriers from the rotor periphery, also run on the outer rotor periphery.
Synchronous reluctance motors are regularly fed via a frequency converter, as a result of which the rotation speed can rise from 0 to operating speed and can be adjusted during operation. In particular, the rotation speed for starting the motor can be increased in steps. If the synchronous reluctance motor by contrast is operated in a fixed grid, the use of a starting cage is necessary in order enable asynchronous starting. As soon as the rotation speed of the rotor approaches the synchronous rotation speed, the reluctance torque becomes predominant and the rotor runs synchronously with the rotating field. However, the structure and manufacture of conventional starting cages, comprising conductor bars and short-circuiting rings, have been comparatively complicated and expensive to date.
The object of the present invention is to demonstrate an alternative rotor structure which is distinguished by an optimum ratio of the magnetic resistances along the d-axis and q-axis and nevertheless ensures a stable rotor design.
According to the invention, one or more flux barriers is/are at least partially filled with a suitable filler material. The filler material of these flux barriers directly reaches the outer periphery of the rotor and accordingly forms a portion of the rotor periphery. The conventional web profile on the rotor periphery can be dispensed with, and the rotor periphery is consequently formed at least in portions by the filler material within the one or more flux barriers which adjoin the rotor periphery.
Since the webs are usually formed from the material of the rotor, that is to say a magnetically conductive material, preferably the lamination or a stacked laminated core, the design of said webs in the region of the q-axis has a disadvantageous effect on the magnetic resistance along the q-axis, that is to say this leads to an increase in the permeability along the q-axis. As a result, influencing of the resistance ratio between the q-axis and d-axis, which is disadvantageous for motor operation, has to be accepted. The resistance ratio between the d-axis and the q-axis can be optimized for rotor operation, in order to achieve a higher torque, owing to the inventive configuration of the rotor, that is to say the cutting out of at least some of the webs which are usually provided on the outer periphery. Nevertheless, a stable rotor design is ensured by the provided filler material in the outer region of the respective flux barriers.
In a preferred refinement of the invention, the flux barriers of the rotor are filled with the filler material at least in regions in such a way that an inner region with unfilled flux barriers or non-filled flux barrier regions and an outer region with filled flux barriers or filled flux barrier regions are produced. It is conceivable, for example, for the division of the inner and outer region by the arrangement to produce one or more webs, wherein the profile of the individual webs forms a closed line which divides the rotor in the radial direction into an inner and an outer rotor region. Most preferably all, of the flux barrier portions of the outer rotor region are filled with a corresponding filler material. Flux barriers or flux barrier regions of the inner rotor region can also be filled, preferably with a magnetically non-conductive and/or electrically non-conductive filler material.
Owing to the use of a suitable filler material, that is to say an electrically conductive filler material, a starting cage can be formed with the aid of the outer rotor region. A reluctance motor which uses the rotor can consequently be operated without a frequency converter as a so-called “line-start motor”. The starting cage formed is generally short-circuited by short-circuiting rings which are fastened at the end in the axial direction. The resulting starting cage operates in accordance with the known principle of the starting aids used in asynchronous motors.
It is further conceivable for the electrically conductive filler material used to be characterized by its magnetically non-conductive properties. As a result, disadvantageous influencing of the permeability in the flux barrier portion is avoided.
A particularly preferably suitable filler material is aluminum or an aluminum alloy since materials of this kind have the abovementioned properties. However, other materials which are distinguished by corresponding properties are also conceivable.
Ideally, all of the flux barriers which directly adjoin the outer rotor periphery are filled with the filler material at least in their peripheral region in order to achieve a high degree of stability of the rotor core and at the same time to cut out all of the web sections in the region of the flux barriers which adjoin the periphery in order to thereby allow an almost optimum resistance ratio between the q-axis and the d-axis.
It is likewise conceivable for one or more flux barriers to be divided into two or more by one or more webs. The design of these webs has, as already explained above, a disadvantageous effect on the properties of the permeability in the respective rotor portion. For this reason, the dimensions, in particular the thickness, of the webs formed should be kept as small as possible in order to restrict the influence on the resistance ratio as far as possible. However, when introducing the filler material used, in particular the aluminum or the aluminum alloy, a certain pressure can act on the webs, this possibly leading to the webs being damaged or broken under certain circumstances. Therefore, a suitable happy medium has to be found for the dimensions of the webs for optimum rotor operation. Against this background, a curved edge shape of the one or more webs has proven to be particularly advantageous. Curvature of the edges leads to increased resistance of the webs when the filler material is pressed in, but without widening of the webs and a resulting greater influence on the permeability of the rotor disadvantageously having to be accepted. An arcuate edge shape is particularly preferred.
Furthermore, it is extremely advantageous when the at least one curved edge which adjoins a filled region of the flux barrier is bent into the filled region of the flux barrier. In this case, the resistance of the web during the filling process is considerably increased. The shape of the edge which adjoins the non-filled region of the flux barrier is less relevant and can be designed in any desired manner. However, said edge is preferably likewise curved, wherein the edge bends out of the non-filled region of the flux barrier.
The present invention further comprises a reluctance machine, in particular a synchronous reluctance machine, comprising at least one rotor according to the present invention or an advantageous refinement of the rotor according to the present invention. The reluctance machine is consequently distinguished by the same advantages and properties as the rotor according to the invention or an advantageous refinement of the rotor according to the invention, and therefore is not described again here. Owing to the refinement according to the invention of the rotor, in particular the position of the filler material introduced, it is possible not only to realize a starting cage but at the same time to achieve an improved torque of the rotor by reducing the number of webs.
The machine preferably serves for driving the pump. The invention therefore also includes a pump comprising a reluctance or synchronous reluctance motor according to the present invention.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing the rotor according to the invention. In said method, the rotor is initially produced with outer webs and the filler material is introduced into the provided flux barriers of the soft-magnetic rotor element. In this case, the outer webs are understood to be those webs which are formed from the soft-magnetic element and are situated in the region of the rotor periphery, that is to say the provided cutouts in the soft-magnetic element for forming the flux barriers do not directly reach the rotor periphery, but rather are spaced apart from the outer periphery by the webs. The rotor periphery is accordingly completely formed by the soft-magnetic element.
After the filler material has been introduced into the flux barriers, a sufficient degree of stability of the rotor core can be ensured, and therefore the outer webs are subsequently removed according to the invention. Ideally, the outer webs are removed in the region of those regions of the flux barriers which are situated on the outside in the radial direction of the rotor, that is to say the filler material of the flux barriers directly adjoins the rotor periphery and therefore forms a portion of the rotor periphery.
The rotor core is generally composed of a stacked laminated core and is preferably produced by rotation. Material layers of the soft-magnetic element can be removed from the rotor periphery by overrotation of the rotor core, and therefore the outer webs are removed in the region of the outer flux barrier portions which adjoin the periphery.
Furthermore, it is advantageous when the filler material used is introduced, in particular pressed, into the flux barriers by casting processes, in particular by die-casting processes.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.